Located in Skagit County, Washington, Big Lake is a lake. The nearest town is Big Lake, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Big Lake lies SSE of town).
Big Lake is located in southwestern Skagit County, Washington. It is drained to the north by Nookachamps Creek, part of the Skagit River system, while Lake Creek to the south serves as its main tributary. Although various Potamogeton (pondweed) species are present, invasive aquatic plants and cyanobacteria blooms have posed risks to the lake's water quality and wildlife. Euro-American settlers came to the region during the 1880s, with the communities of Montborne and Big Lake serving as logging towns until the 1920s. The watershed is now mainly forested, with rural residential areas around the lake's shoreline.From the Wikipedia article “Big Lake (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 52° NE | 9:15 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 126° SE | 4:17 PM | 235° SW | 18° | 8h 19m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:47 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:17 PM | 8h 46m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 13m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:08 AM | 5:57 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:54 PM | 16h 05m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 43m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 14m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 21m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Big Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. May gives the longest window (about 1.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:58 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.3 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:53 AM – 2:53 AM | 1.0 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:47 AM – 1:27 AM | 0.7 | 13° | S → S |
| July | 12:00 AM – 12:40 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 10:43 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.55 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 58 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lake
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Big Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Lake?
What time is golden hour at Big Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Lake?
How far is Big Lake from Big Lake?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.